Agenda

8:00 AM -

9:00 AM

Working Group Office Hours

Breakfast will be available in the Attendee Lounge and outside of all Working Group rooms.

Working Group Office Hours provide an opportunity to spend additional time with CGI America Working Group Managers and fellow Working Group attendees. Working Group Managers will be available in the Working Group rooms to answer questions, share information about developing Commitments to Action, and help facilitate introductions when possible. If interested, attendees are also welcome to visit Working Group rooms other than their own.

Plenary Session

9:00 AM -

10:15 AM

Overcoming Poverty; Improving Opportunity

The American Dream is built on the idea that no matter their background, children will have the opportunity to pursue success and prosperity. However, more than one in five American children live in poverty, with African-American, Hispanic, and Native American communities disproportionately affected. Children who grow up in poverty will likely suffer serious consequences later in life. They may drop out of school, become unemployed or incarcerated, and may suffer from chronic health conditions. However, successful preventative approaches can alleviate poverty while supporting these children to realize their full potential, so they can support America’s economic growth.

In this session, leaders from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors will explore how CGI America attendees can:

• Scale up high-quality early learning programs and make these readily available to those who need them most.
• Address poverty, health and wellness in students by providing robust wrap-around services in schools.
• Scale up effective interventions by using innovative financing tools such as Social Impact Bonds and other Pay for Success models.

10:45 AM -

12:15 PM

Apprenticeships

While 2.8 million young Americans are struggling to enter the labor market, U.S. employers report difficulty filling positions due to a lack of available skilled workers. Apprenticeships—which combine work-based training, classroom instruction, and a recognized credential—are a cost-effective opportunity to close this skills gap and address youth unemployment, as proven in other industrialized countries such as Germany. However, apprenticeships are still largely underutilized and undervalued in the United States, despite the fact that 87 percent of apprentices find employment after completing a program and earn an average starting wage of $50,000 a year. In addition, U.S. employers that utilize apprentices have a high return on investment through increased productivity and talent retention.

In this session, leaders from the private, public, and nonprofit sectors will explore how CGI America attendees can:

• Expand apprenticeships beyond the typical construction and manufacturing programs to high-growth industries such as health care, advanced manufacturing and information technology.
• Improve the image of apprenticeship relative to the traditional four-year college education to attract more students.
• Design financing mechanisms that share costs among employers and colleges, as well as make apprenticeships affordable for students.

Moderator:

John Ladd,Administrator, Office of Apprenticeship and Training Administration,U.S. Department of Labor

Participants:

CGI Conversation moderated by Bloomberg TV

Now What? Investing in the Long Term

Session Features: Filmed for Broadcast

Seven years after the depths of the financial crisis, job creation is robust and unemployment is nearing its pre-recession levels. With the toughest years behind us, it is now essential that the lessons of the recession not be forgotten and that leaders take advantage of a healthier economy to invest in a more sustainable and inclusive nation.

In this session, panelists will discuss smart investments that they believe will have a lasting return for all Americans and make the nation more competitive globally. These investments will pay dividends beyond the recovery and through subsequent economic cycles, creating opportunities for future generations to achieve the American Dream.

Moderator:

David Westin,Anchor,Bloomberg TV

Participants:

Robert L. Johnson,Founder and Chairman,The RLJ CompaniesSteven A. Sugarman,Chairman and CEO,Banc of CaliforniaAlex Taylor,Executive Vice President of Strategic Investments,Cox Enterprises

Communities in Crisis: The Cost of the Opioid Epidemic

Prescription drug abuse and overdose is a serious public health crisis in the United States. In addition to the devastating human impact on communities across the nation, the economic impact is staggering – prescription opioid abuse accounts for over $25 billion in lost wages and productivity alone every year. This session will bring together leaders from government, business, and on-the-ground practitioners who are working to alleviate the high cost of this epidemic for communities and the U.S. economy.

Panel Discussion:

Moderator:

Michael P. Botticelli,Director,White House Office of National Drug Control Policy

Opportunities for New Americans

The United States is a nation of immigrants--throughout its history, waves of immigrants have found opportunity and security in the country. In exchange, the country's economic ascendancy has been fueled by a diverse, hardworking, and entrepreneurial population. Today, the U.S. immigration population accounts for 16 percent of the workforce, 15 percent of economic output, and 18 percent of small business ownership--while only representing 13 percent of the total U.S. population. Despite this, some still view immigrants in the United States as a burden to their communities. By ensuring the economic integration of new Americans, communities can maximize their economic contributions while enriching the nation’s cultural tapestry.

In this session, leaders from the private, public, and nonprofit sectors will explore how CGI America attendees can:

• Shift attitudes to welcome new Americans and maximize their economic contributions.
• Support new immigrant and refugee arrivals with access to essential services.
• Invest in immigrants’ human capital and entrepreneurship.

Moderator:

Rachel Peric,Deputy Director,Welcoming America

Participants:

George Arison,Founder and CEO,ShiftBetsy Hodges,Mayor,City of MinneapolisJanet Murguía,President and CEO,National Council of La Raza (NCLR)

The Retirement Boom

As the labor market returns to normalcy after years of high unemployment, changing demographics are bringing a new wave of uncertainty in the United States. The baby boom generation, the 75 million Americans born between 1946 and 1964, is retiring: more than a quarter million Americans are turning 65 every month. Balancing the effects of this shift on economic growth will be critically important in the coming years. With the baby boomers retiring, young workers hit hardest by the recession face less competition for jobs and therefore potentially lower unemployment. Additionally, as baby boomers age, health care and other industries that serve seniors are growing strongly across the country. However, one-in-five near-retirement households lack any savings, 10 percent of retirees live below the poverty line, and the U.S. economy is losing valuable skilled workers that can transmit their knowledge to younger generations.

In this session, leaders from the private, public, and nonprofit sectors will explore how CGI America attendees can:

• Assess the effect of an aging workforce on productivity and unemployment.
• Develop programs to ensure retirees without savings can receive adequate support, whether related to health or housing.
• Support seniors who are contributing their skills and experience during retirement.

Moderator:

Mark Zandi,Chief Economist,Moody's Analytics

Participants:

Transit Programs for Economic Growth

Traffic congestion, limited or non-existent public transportation, aging infrastructure--these transit issues stifle U.S. economic productivity and growth. These issues also disproportionately affect low-income communities, who as a result are held back from accessing quality jobs, education, and other essential services. To overcome these transportation challenges, forward-thinking cities such as Atlanta and Seattle are investing in public transportation, including streetcars, rapid buses and light rail, and electric transit infrastructure. Meanwhile, businesses are developing innovative models such as bike- and car-sharing programs to reduce pollution and costs for commuters. Through these programs, businesses and local government actors can attract diverse workforces, encourage economic growth, and promote both physical and social mobility for residents.

In this session, leaders from the private, public, and nonprofit sectors will explore how CGI America attendees can:

Moderator:

Participants:

12:30 PM -

3:30 PM

Advanced Energy

The Advanced Energy Working Group will explore forces rapidly reshaping the energy industry and consider how these factors impact shared infrastructure such as the grid, how energy choices for customers and communities are changing, and how more Americans across the nation can benefit—especially low-income, rural, and tribal communities.

College and Career Readiness

The College and Career Readiness Working Group will work to provide more students with access to the resources and opportunities needed to have a meaningful education and career. Participants will explore approaches to increase high school graduation rates, support apprenticeships and mentorships, increase awareness of postsecondary pathways, and guide first-generation college students.

Early Childhood Education

The Early Childhood Education Working Group will continue to foster cross-sector partnerships and scale research-informed approaches that improve the lives of young children, families, businesses, and communities. Topics of discussion will include increased investment in early learning, support for the early learning workforce, and the links between child development and health.

Financial Opportunity

The Financial Opportunity Working Group will work to leverage, expand, and shape financial and technology tools that enable families to build wealth and move toward long-term financial wellness. Participants will focus on key areas such as homeownership, consumer credit, and college savings.

Outcomes-Based Financing

The Outcomes-Based Financing Working Group will explore how Pay for Success and other performance-based investment structures can be leveraged to introduce new investors and capital to high-impact social programs in the United States. Participants will discuss ways to use these new investment tools and products to better align capital with social outcomes in health, education, housing, and criminal justice.

Small and Medium Enterprises

The Small and Medium Enterprises Working Group will examine promising approaches to support firm formation and active small businesses, with particular emphasis on the promise and challenges posed by new sources of small business finance, from microfinance to online lending.

STEM Education

The STEM Education Working Group will explore strategies to increase engagement and broaden participation in high-quality STEM Education in the United States. In particular, participants will discuss promising approaches to diversify the STEM talent pool, with a focus on girls and women and other historically underrepresented groups.

Sustainable Cities

The Sustainable Cities Working Group will explore cross-sector strategies to cultivate a more equitable and sustainable built environment. Among other topics, participants will discuss innovative financing, resilient planning, high-performance building strategies, and smart building and planning technologies.

Workforce Development

The Workforce Development Working Group will focus on cross-sector strategies that equip low-income Americans with the skills needed to ascend today’s emerging career ladders. Participants will discuss ways to invest in employees, promote career pathways for Opportunity Youth, and utilize technology tools for workforce development, among other topics.

Closing Plenary Session

4:00 PM -

5:30 PM

Investing in Quality Jobs

Each year, health emergencies, chronic diseases, and work-related injuries cost the U.S. approximately $450 billion in productivity . Some forward-thinking U.S. employers are improving health and wealth benefits, increasing wages, and providing educational and professional development opportunities, while creating more flexible work environments. More employers need to duplicate their efforts to create better, healthier jobs, particularly for women and minorities, so employers can build a more productive and diverse workforce, support business profitability, and strengthen the American economy.

In this session, leaders from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors will discuss how CGI America attendees can:

• Increase wages and eliminate wage gaps that particularly affect women and minorities.
• Promote worker wellness and professional development to increase retention.
• Create flexible work environments that benefit those caring for dependents.